Shoe lasting machines

ABSTRACT

Means for lasting the upper of a shoe in the use of which the shoe upper is presented to a last or form and positioned with a predetermined width of lasting margin projecting from the boundary of the last or form, the upper is then held firmly in place against the boundary edge of the last or form whilst the upper margin is turned over and lasted by adhesive against an insole on the last or form, and after the lasting margin has been so turned over the upper material has shaping stress applied to it.

I Umted States Patent 1111 39 [72] Inventor Frank Portion Bailey [56] References Cited 2 A I N 5332; Enfllmd UNITEDSTATES PATENTS :22} F554 0' Aug 23 1968 2,224,146, 12 1940 Eastman 12 s.s 2,505,134 4/1950 Miller 12/8.8 [45] Patented July 27, 1971 [73] Assign Ralph Unified Limited 3,046,577 7/1962 Kambonan et al. l2/8.8 Lem" Ewan 2,394,205 2/1946 Robinson 12/10.5 [32] Priority Mm 25, 1967 3,249,955 5/1966 Bourassa et al.. 12/145 [33] Gm Brim 3,302,228 2/1967 Bryant et al. 12/145 Becka et a... I Primary ExaminerPatrick D. Lawson Attorney-Milton J Wayne ABSTRACT: Means for lasting the upper of a shoe in the use [54] gg MAEHINES of which the shoe upper is presented to a last or form and posi- "wing tioned with a predetermined width of lasting margin project- [52] 0.5. CI. 12/l0.5, ing from the boundary of the last or form, the upper is then I 12/8.8, 12/145 held firmly in place against the boundary edge of the last or nt. 1 00, orm w 1st t e up er marg1n1sturne over an aste y a [51] 1 Cl A43d2/ f h] h p d dl db d A43d 23/00, A43d 29/00 hesive against an insole on the last or form, and after the last- [50] Field 0! Search l2/l0.5, ing margin has been so turned over the upper material has shaping stress applied to it.

PATENTEU 112mm SHE 3 OF 5 3,594,839

FIG. 5.

PATENTEB JUL27 l97| SHEET 5 0F 5 SHOE LASTING MACHINES This invention is for improvements in shoe lasting and sole attaching machines. In practicing the invention this sequence of operations is performed on a single machine instead of on a sequence of machines and the shoe remains stationary instead of being transferred from machine head to machine head. The word shoe" is used herein in a broad sense whenever the context so permits to include all forms of outer footwear. The word forepart is used to mean that part which is in front of the seat or back part and may include the waist part or part of the waist part. The word "lasting" is used herein ina broad sense to refer to the procedure of attaching a shoe upper to an insole by means of a turned over margin of the upper material whether or not some stressing of the upper material occurs at the same time. The invention has for an object to provide an improved procedure and apparatus facilitating accurate manufacture of shoes in a competent and economical manner.

In accordance with the invention in one aspect there is provided a method of lasting the upper of a shoe in which the upper is presented to a last or form, is positioned thereon and held against the periphery of the last or form whilst the upper margin is turned over and secured to an insole on the last or form before the upper material is fully stressed, the stressing or final stressing of the upper material being carried out subsequently. ln practicing the procedure use may be made of a shoe upper having a premolded or partly premolded end part (e.g. forepart) or one which has not been premolded. When using the method for lasting a forepart the back part may be premolded and seat lasted, or partly premolded or not.

The method may be practiced with the employment of a last or form which is fixed in position, the lasting being performed by manipulating the upper material in relation to the fixed last or form. Such manipulation of the upper material may be performed with the aid of pincers.

ln carrying out the invention there may be employed a last or form having a back part and platelike'sole portion both of which are fixed and a relatively movable forepart filler portion, and the upper material may be first positioned relatively to the bottom of the last or form and then held against the periphery of the forepart sole portion, the forepan filler portion having previously been withdrawn to a rearward position, the turning over of the upper material attach it to an insole being performed whilst the upper material is so held. At a later stage after the attachment of the upper margin to the insole the upper filler portion of the last or form is moved to stress the upper material and bring it to the required shape. This may be performed by means of an adjustable last or form of the kind described in copending US. Pat. application Ser. No. 712,031, filed Mar. 11,1968.

The positioning of the upper material on the last or form relatively to the last bottom may be carried out by means of an operating head having a group of pincers for example one end and two side pincers set at appropriate attitudes. The correct positioning of the upper may be achieved by positioning the upper against locating stops on the pincers, the head being movable to predetermined distances longitudinally and upwards to draw the upper material when gripped by the pincers into correct position in relation to the bottom of last or form (which is directed upwardly) prior to the holding of the upper material against the periphery of the last or form. The head carrying the pincers may be pivoted about a vertical laterally offset axis.

The improved method may comprise the further step of applying a sole or sole unit to the lasted upper whilst on the last or form either by a molding or sole attaching procedure. This may be effected by use of a pad box carrying the sole or an injection molding box, such pad box being caused to be brought into cooperation with the lasted upper on the last or form.

In the case of the sole or sole unit the positioning of the sole or sole unit considerably facilitated in comparison with existing processes because the shoe is always on the one same last in an exactly constant location, so the sole can be prelocated in the pad box, by means of positioning lugs and laid automatically in the exact position on the shoe. Not only does this make the sole positioning onto the shoe much more accurate, but it also greatly reduces the time between the heat activation of the adhesive on the sole and its pressure onto the shoe upper, a factor especially important in the use of hot melt and similar adhesives.

Conveniently the lasting of the upper may be performed with the aid of a shaped clamping band which clamps at least part of the upper to the periphery of the last or form and with a constant amount of lasting margin made to project beyond the clamping band to be turned over the bottom of the shoe and secured to the insole.

Heat may be applied to the upper material by radiation or otherwise whilst the shoe upper material is in stressed condition on the last or form for the purpose of setting the upper material to the shape of the last or form.

The invention is another aspect comprises the provision of apparatus for lasting at least an end part of a shoe, comprising a mounting for a last or shoe form, means for positioning a shoe upper on the last or form with sufficient accuracy to enable a predetermined margin of at least part of the periphery of the upper material to be turned over the insole, means for holding the shoe upper at the required position against the periphery of the last or form, means for turning over said predetermined margin of the upper material and pressing it against the insole to effect adhesive lasting while the upper material is so held, and means for effecting stressing or final stressing of the upper material after the upper margin has been attached to the insole.

There may be provided means for applying heat by radiation or otherwise to the stressed upper material whilst on the last or form for the purpose of setting it to the shape of the last or form.

The apparatus aforementioned may comprise a last or having a fixed part and a part movable in relation thereto for effecting stressing or final stressing of the upper material. The last or form may have relatively movable sole and upper forepart portions adjustable one in relation to the other endwise of the last or form, the upper holding means being arranged to hold the shoe upper against the periphery of the sole part of the last or form.

The means for holding the upper material against the last or form may comprise a clamping band presenting a recess which when the band is engaged with the upper material is complementary in shape to the periphery of the last or form and means for moving said plate towards the last or form to hold the upper material thereagainst. The engaging surface of the band is desirably so formed or treated as to reduce any liability to damage or marking of the upper material.

The apparatus may include a movable head carrying pincers as aforesaid to engage with edge parts of the upper material and position it in required manner on the last or form (without effecting the final stretching of the upper material), said head being movable into and out of operative position. There may also be provided a head carrying plates for operating on the lasting margin which head is movable from an inoperative position to a working position wherein it is level with the bottom of a shoe on the last or form, said head supporting its plates for movement bodily towards an end part of a shoe on the last or form and also inwardly to turn over the margin of the upper on to an insole for attachment by adhesive to the insole.

The clamping band may be mounted on the head carrying the plates for operating on the lasting margin so as to be moved into engagement with the upper material and clamp it against the periphery of the forepart of the last or form when the said head is brought into position to enable the plates to be operated for engagement with the lasting margin of the upper material. At the same time as the forepart is being lasted the back part may be positioned and its lasting margin turned over; alternatively the back part may be premolded and prelasted.

By way of example a form of apparatus in accordance with the invention is shown somewhat diagrammatically in the drawings, and such apparatus and its method of operation will now be described with reference to the drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is an elevation view partly in cross section of apparatus for lasting the forepart end of a shoe, shown in an inoperative condition,

FIG. 2 is a plan view of parts shown in FIG. 1,

FIG. 3 is a view corresponding to FIG. I but showing a shoe upper applied to the apparatus ready for treatment and pincers acting thereon, together with parts (some in cross section) for mounting the pincer assembly.

FIG. 4 is a plan view of the pincer assembly and its mount- 8,

FIG. 5 is a view corresponding to FIG. 1 but showing a holding device operating on the shoe upper,

FIG. 6 is a plan view of certain of the parts in FIG. 5,

FIG. 7 is a view corresponding to FIG. 5 but illustrating a further stage in the operation,

FIG. 8 is a plan view of parts shown in FIG. 7, and

FIG. 9 is an elevation view as seen from one end of the apparatus illustrating sole applying mechanism.

In the drawings there is shown mounted on a stationary base plate or table 10 a rod or stem 11 slidable vertically in a housing 16 but keyed against rotation therein. On the stem 11 there is mounted in horizontal attitude a supporting plate 12 carrying above it a horseshoe-shaped box 13. The horseshoeshaped box 13 carries a clamping band provided by a platelike member 14, and the upper margin folding plates 15 which are similar to commonly known wiper plates used in lasting machines, are mounted in an upper horseshoe-shaped box 71 (which is slidable on the box 13 in the direction from side to side of FIG. 1) and are movable in controlled manner in a horizontal plane towards one another with a converging movement controlled by appropriate cam tracks. The plate 12 and horseshoe-shaped boxes 13 and 71 and the parts carried by them form on a head which is movable up and down into an out of operative position in relation to a shoe upper assembly mounted to the right of the head, as seen in FIG. 1, on a last or form on a support 17 therefor carried on the table 10. In the example shown the support 17 carries a last shown generally at 18 having relatively adjustable parts consisting of a fixed heel part 18a and platelike sole portion 18b and a relatively movable forepart filler portion 180.

The last may conveniently be constructed as described in the aforesaid earlier specification. It may be operated by a pair of plates 19 embracing the last support 17 and slidable horizontally from right to left of FIG. 1 by the action of a pin 20 which rides in a vertical slot 73 in the last support 17 and slanting slots 80 in the plates 19 and is movable up and down by a pneumatic piston and cylinder device 72. The plates 19 are attached to a weblike stem member 21 fixed to the forepart filler portion 18b.

The platelike member 14 provides in effect a clamping band formed by a shaped concave edge 22 which is complementary in plan view to the shape of the toe end part 181) of the last 18. The bandlike edge 22 is desirably so formed or treated as to reduce liability to damage or marking of upper material with which, as will be seen later, it will come into contact. The platelike member 14 is movable to and fro longitudinally of the last relatively to its supporting part 12 and it is operated for such movement by a pneumatic cylinder 23 mounted on the box 13. Similarly the margin folding plates 15 are operated simultaneously for their inward and outward movements by means of two pneumatic cylinders 24 and 74 mounted one on a suitable bracket on the part 13 and the other on the part 71. Cylinder 24 moves the part 13 bodily with the plates 15, and cylinder 74 provides for additional movement of the plates 15 relatively to the part 13.

The bodily upward movement of the plate 12 to carry the holding band 14 and the margin folding plates 15 into the operative position at the correct level in relation to the upturned bottom of the last 18 is effected by means of a pneumatic piston and cylinder device 25 the piston rod 26 of which is connected to the bottom of the rod or stem 11 within a lower housing 75. Conveniently the level of the cylinder of device 25 is adjustable by having such cylinder mounted for up and down movement without it being permitted to rotate and providing for a screw adjustment of its level. This is arranged by having an externally screw-threaded upstanding tube 76 on the cylinder of device 25 engaged by a nut fixed internally to a gear wheel 27 geared through an intervening gear 77 to a further gear 28 on an adjusting spindle 29 operable manually by a knob or handwheel 30. Thereby fine adjustments of level of the assembly comprising the parts 12 and 13, I4 and 15 in relation to the bottom of the last can readily be made when required. The spindle 29 and intermediate gear 77 are carried by mountings 78 and 79.

The positioning of a shoe upper 31 FIGS. 3, 5 and 7 on the last 18 is effected by means of a pincer assembly shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. Such assembly comprises a carrier 32 supporting a subcarriage 81 carrying a slide 82 having spaced arms 33 extending from a crosspiece 34, the arms 33 forming supporting means for side pincers 35 and the crosspiece 34, the arms 33 forming supporting means for side pincers 35 and the crosspiece 34 supporting end pincers 36. The pincers are individually operable by small pneumatic piston and cylinder devices 37 and 38 and are adapted to be moved into engagement with the margin of the forepart of an upper 31 mounted on the last 18 being provided with distance stops so that they will overlap and grip the upper up to a controlled distance inwardly of the upper margin. The end pincers 36 may be made adjustable endwise of the carrier 32 relatively to the pincers 35 in any convenient manner and the subcarriage 81 is adjustably by means of a screwed adjusting rod 39 fitted with a manually operated knob or disc 40-, to enable initial fine adjustment of the settling of the group of pincers to be made. The assembly of pincers 35 and 36 is mounted for bodily movement rearwardly of the last and somewhat upwardly to a precisely controlled extend after the pincers 35 and 36 have engaged and been caused to grip the upper margin. Such mounting and means enabling the pincer assembly to be moved into and out of operative position will now be explained.

The rearward bodily movement just referred to is effected by a pneumatic cylinder 83 mounted on the subcarriage 81 and having a piston rod 84 connected to the slide 82. The controlled upward movement of the pincers just referred to is incorporated in parts of the main mounting for the pincer assembly. The carrier 32 is pivoted at 41 and 42 to parallel link arms 43 and 44 which can ride up and down on spaced vertical guide rods 45 fixedto and upstanding from the table 10. The link arms 43 and 44 are associated with the carriage which spaces the arms 43 and 44 on their guide rods and also slides on the latter and has upper and lower crossbars 86 and 87. To the ends of the upper cross bar 86 there are fixed stepped dogs 88 which cooperate with complementary dogs 89 which are rotatably mounted on the guide rods 45 and carried by a crossbar 90 which is slidable up and down on the guide rods. The dogs 89 are coupled by a connecting link 91 (FIG. 4) so as to turn in unison and can be turned by means of a pneumatic cylinder device 92 coupled to an arm 93 secured to one of the movable dogs 89. To the upper end of the guide rods 45 there is fixed a crossbar 94 into which there is screwed a vertical adjusting rod 95 carrying a manipulating knob 96 the lower end of the rod 95 being coupled to the crossbar 90 so that by turning the rod 95 by means of the knob 96 the crossbar 90 can be raised and lowered to raise and lower the position of the rotatable clogs 89.

The carriage 85 can be raised and lowered as required by means of a pneumatic device 97 fixed to the under part of table 10 the piston rod 98 of which is coupled to an upper rod through a coupling 99 permitting relative rotation but no endwise movement between the rods. The rod 100 reaches to the top of the guide rods and projects through the crossbar 94 and has attached to its upper end a manipulated knob 101. The rod 100 passes through clearance holes in crossbars 87,

90 and 94 and its upper part is screw threaded at 102 to engage in a mating screw thread in crossbar 86. Thus by turning the knob 101 adjustment of the level of the carriage 83 in relation to the rod 100 can be made to adjust the bottom level to which the pincer assembly can be moved for engagement of the pincers 35, 36 with the lasting margin of the upper 31. Determination of the upper limit of pincer movement is effected by the knob 96 which by varying the height of cross bar 90 varies the level of the movable dogs forming stops for limiting the upward movement of the carriage 85. By operation of pnuematic cylinder 92 the dogs 89 are adjustable to provide two different stop limits, one to be used when the pincers are about to be engaged with the upper margin and the other to determine precisely the extent of upward movement of the pincers for raising the margin of the upper as aforesaid during backward movement of the slide 82.

The horizontal movement of the pincer assembly to move it between the operative position in which the pincers are engaged with the upper margin and an inoperative out of the way position shown in broken lines in FIG. 4, is effected by a pneumatic cylinder 103 pivotally anchored at 104 to a fixed part and having its piston rod 105 connected by a link 108 and universal joints 106 and 107 to a short level 109 fixed to the lower link arm 44.

The apparatus illustrated also comprises means for applying a sole to the upper whilst the latter is still'mounted on the last 18 after the lasting operation has been performed. As an example there is shown in FIG. 9 means'for applying a sole or sole unit by means of a movable pad box but it will be appreciated that the invention can be practiced equally well by substituting an injection molding box for the pad box for the purpose of molding on a sole in situ on the lasted upper assembly. In FIG. 9 there is shown a two armed lever 48 pivoted centrally at 49 to a mounting bracket 50 attached to the table to one side of the position of the last mounting. The arm is adapted to be swung by power means for the upstanding position shown in full lines in FIG. 9 to a horizontal position shown in broken lines by means of a pneumatic piston and cylinder device 51 the cylinder of which is anchored at 52 to the table 10 or a bracket fixed thereto and the piston rod of which is anchored at 53 to an arm 54 secured to a gear wheel 110 rotatable in a bearing in bracket 50 and meshing with a smaller gear 111 secured to the lever 48. On the end of lever 48 which is uppermost in the vertical position there is fitted a pad box 55 fitted with clips 56 by means of which a sole or sole unit 57 precoated with adhesive for its attachment is positioned in readiness for application to the upper assembly on the last. Between the pad box 55 and the upper end of lever 48 there are interposed two or more pneumatic piston and cylinder devices 58 for a purpose later explained. The opposite end of the lever 48 is formed with an aperture 59 to cooperate with a bolt 60 on a holder 61 secured to a fixed part 62 of the frame of the apparatus. Above the lever 48 and mounted on parallel linkage arms 63 pivoted at 64 and 65 to a fixed part 66 of the frame of the apparatus there is a vertical plate 67 pivotally anchored at 68 and 69 to the linkage arms 63. The plate 67 projects below the lower anchorage 68 to carry on its left hand face a heating device 70 incorporating one or more electrical heating elements for applying radiant heat to the adhesive on the sole or sole unit 57 in the pad box 55 immediately prior to its application to the bottom of the shoe assembly on the last. The parallel linkage 63 enables the heating elements 70 to be swung down to the position shown in broken lines close to the exposed face of the sole or sole unit in the pad box 55 (for a suitable period to activate the adhesive on the sole or unit 57) and subsequently moved up to the full line position out of the way of the pad box just before the arm 48 is turned clockwise to the horizontal position. For thus moving the heating elements there is shown a pneumatic piston and cylinder device 112 anchored at 113 to a fixed part 114 and having its piston rod 115 pivotally coupled at 116 to the upper linkage arm 63.

A representative method of procedure in practicing the invention will now be described. At the outset the parts are shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 with the hear 12, 13, 71 carrying the clamping band 14 and upper folding plates 15 in a lowered inoperative position with the clamping band and plates retracted and with the forepart filler portion of the last withdrawn rearwards against the heel part 180. The shoe upper 31 and an insole are then placed on to the last 18, see FIGS. 3 and 4, and the pincers 35, 36 move across and into engagement with the marginal portions of the upper. The pincers are moved to engage them to a constant degree with the upper margin and then caused to grip the upper margins and are moved bodily as a unit by the piston and cylinder devices 83 and 97 through a controlled predetermined distance rearwardly of the last and upwards to position the up turned upper margin in the desired accurate registry with the last 18.

At this stage the head 12, 13, 71 is raised vertically by operation of the pneumatic cylinder 25 to bring the clamping band or holding plate 14 to the level of the forepart sole portion 18b of the last, any fine adjustments being made by means of the hand wheel 30, and the clamping band 14 is moved rearwardly by means of its operating cylinder 23 to engage it firmly against the upper material around the marginal parts of the sole plate 18b and thereby hold the upper material just inwardly of the lasting margin against such sole plate. The pincers 35 and 36 are then released and the carrier 32 supporting them is moved to the left of FIG. 4 away from the last to the inoperative broken line position. The margin folding plates 15 are then operated by their cylinder 24 and serve to turn the lasting margin over the insole on the last 18. Thereupon a downward pressure of the plates 15 on the turned over lasting margin is caused to occur (for example by suitably operating cylinder 25) to cause the lasting margin to be attached adhesively to the insole. After this the holding plate 14 and the folding plates 15 are retracted and the, head 12, 13, 71 is moved downwardly away from the shoe. At about the same time as the folding plates 15 are operated to fold the and press down the lasting margin, the last forepart filler portion 18c is moved forward to tension the upper 31 into its final shape. This shaping may be assisted by heating the upper by means of radiation or hot air and or steam, and by cooling it again by cool air or by cooling the last 18 or formduring the later stages of the operation.

When the head 12, 13, 71 has been moved down, a premolded or prefabricated sole or sole unit indicated at 57 is positioned and pressed down on to the upturned bottom of the shoe assembly while still on the last 18 by the parts shown in FIG. 9. The sole or sole unit 57 is positioned in advance in the sole laying pad box 55 and held there in correct position by the friction lugs or clips 56, the hinged arm 48 being swung down later in such a way as to lay the sole or unit 57 exactly in the required position on the shoe. At a suitable time in advance of this the adhesive on the sole or unit 57 is heat activated by the heater 70 which is swung down and held for a controlled time close to the sole or sole unit to which adhesive has been preapplied. Just before the sole laying pad 55 is timed to swing down onto the shoe, the preheater carrier is lifted clear. When the sole laying arm 48 has been swung into the horizontal position to lay the sole or unit it is locked in such position by the bolt 60 passing through the locking hole 59, the final downward pressure on the pad box 55 being then applied by the cylinders 58. When the sole laying is completed and a suitable cooling time has elapsed the sole laying arm 48 is swung up back to its vertical loading position leaving the sole or unit 57 attached to the shoe. The forepart filler piece 18c is then retracted and the shoe removed from the last 18.

The sequence just described would be used for a shoe with the back part prelasted and for a precemented sole. The procedure can also be applied to a method wherein the sole is applied by injection molding, and/or wherein the back part has not been prelasted but is lasted by additional instrumentalities as part of the sequence of operations performed on the present machine.

The apparatus may be duplicated to provide two stations so that while the upper of one shoe assembly is under stress and having bottom material attached a further shoe upper may be mounted on the last or form at the other station and processed, and vice versa.

The blowing on of hot air on to the forepart of the upper material may be effected from below for example by a nozzle or nozzles as shown in chain lines 1 17 in FIG. 7, with the shoe mounted as shown in inverted attitude and the last bottom up permost. This heat may be followed by cool air or other cooling. Such heating and cooling aids greatly in setting the upper material to the required shape.

The various instrumentalities of the apparatus described are operated pneumatically under the control of a pneumatic con trol system organized to cause the various motions to be performed in correctly timed sequence with dwells in the timing of the motions as required to perform the operations correctly. Alternatively the sequencing may be controlled by a punched card system.

What 1 claim is:

1. Apparatus for lasting at least an end part of a shoe comprising a mounting for a last or a shoe form. means for positioning a shoe upper on the last or form with sufficient accuracy to enable a predetermined margin of at least part of the periphery of the upper material to be turned over the insole, means for holding the shoe upper at the required position against the periphery of the last or form, means for turning over said predetermined margin of the upper material and pressing it against the insole to effect adhesive lasting whilst the upper material is so held, and means for effecting stressing or final stressing of the upper material after the upper margin has been attached to the insole, the last or form having a fixed part and a part movable in relation thereto for effecting the stressing or final stressing of the upper material.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the last or form has relatively movable sole and upper forepart portions adjustable one in relation to the other endwise of the last or form, and wherein the upper holding means is arranged to hold the shoe upper against the periphery of the sole part of the last or form.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the means for holding the upper material against the last or form comprises a clamping band presenting a recess which when the band is engaged with the upper material is complementary in shape to the periphery of the last or from and means for moving said band towards the last or form to hold the upper material thereagainst.

4. Apparatus according to claim 3 wherein the engaging surface of the band is so formed or treated as to reduce liability to damage or marking of the upper material.

5. Apparatus according to claim 1 comprising a pad box or injection molding box for application ofa sole or sole unit to a shoe upper on the last or form said pad box or molding box being mounted for movement from an inoperative position into registry with the bottom of the last or form. 

1. Apparatus for lasting at least an end part of a shoe comprising a mounting for a last or a shoe form, mEans for positioning a shoe upper on the last or form with sufficient accuracy to enable a predetermined margin of at least part of the periphery of the upper material to be turned over the insole, means for holding the shoe upper at the required position against the periphery of the last or form, means for turning over said predetermined margin of the upper material and pressing it against the insole to effect adhesive lasting whilst the upper material is so held, and means for effecting stressing or final stressing of the upper material after the upper margin has been attached to the insole, the last or form having a fixed part and a part movable in relation thereto for effecting the stressing or final stressing of the upper material.
 2. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the last or form has relatively movable sole and upper forepart portions adjustable one in relation to the other endwise of the last or form, and wherein the upper holding means is arranged to hold the shoe upper against the periphery of the sole part of the last or form.
 3. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the means for holding the upper material against the last or form comprises a clamping band presenting a recess which when the band is engaged with the upper material is complementary in shape to the periphery of the last or from and means for moving said band towards the last or form to hold the upper material thereagainst.
 4. Apparatus according to claim 3 wherein the engaging surface of the band is so formed or treated as to reduce liability to damage or marking of the upper material.
 5. Apparatus according to claim 1 comprising a pad box or injection molding box for application of a sole or sole unit to a shoe upper on the last or form said pad box or molding box being mounted for movement from an inoperative position into registry with the bottom of the last or form. 